Automatic return trap



l@ l 6 8 l Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,145

` A. N. GOFF ET A1.

AUTOMA'II C l RETURN TRAP Filed Jan. 5, 1922 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR N. GFF AND CLARENCE J". RICE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCNSIN.

AUTOMATIC RETURN' TRAP.

Application filed January 5, 1922.

To all 'whom t may concern:

13e it known that ARTHUR N. Gorr and CLARENCE J. Rien, citizens of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, count-y of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Return Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic return traps such as are used in steam heating systems.

It is the object of this invention to provide a novel and effective mechanism adapted to operate automatically to ret-urn the waters of condensation from a heating system to the boiler thereof.

More particularly, it is the object of this invention to provide an effective fioatcon trolled slide valve mechanism for producing variations in pressure within a return trap. By using a slide valve actuated by the trip mechanism hereinafter to be described, I have devised a simple valve which can be operated successfully under comparatively high steam pressures, the slide valve being sufficiently easy of operation to permit the weight or buoyancy of the float to be relied upon for the motivating power.

Further objects of this invention are to provide automatic controlling mechanism for a return trap wherein valve movements will be decisive and quick, so that the valve will not be subiectedl to chattering or vibration producing influences, and to devise a trap having particularly accessible operating mechanism so disposed as to be removable in its entirety as a unit.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows in longitudinal vertical section a return trap incorporating one cmbodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragment-al end elevation of the same showing in detail those parts of the operating mechanism which are mounted exterior to the trap.

Figure 3 is a fragmental rear elevation of the parts shown in Figure 2.

Figure L1 is a detail of the weight supporting lever which effects positive slide valve action.

Figure 5 illustrates a modified form of construction including a balanced valve for use on high pressure systems.

Figure 6 is a detail view of a modified form of valve operating mechanism adapted Serial No. 527,215.

to meet the requirements of the modified valve construction shown in Figure 5.

Lilie parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The body of the trap comprises a reservoir' indicated at 1. The reservoir 1 is in communication through a pipe 2 provided with a check valve 3 with the exhaust end of a steam heating system, or other system of piping, from which it is desired to remove a liquid. Through the pipe 1 and check valve 5 the reservoir 1 of the return trap communicates with a boiler or other receptacle to which it is desired to deliver the liquid received from pipe 2.

The reservoir is closed by an end plate 7 upon which the entire operating mechanism is preferably mounted. This plate may be provided with a recess such as is shown at 8, in the side Walls of which is journalled the rock shaft 9. Keyed to the rock shaft is a lever 10 which carries at its end a float 11, movable between the full line and dotted line positions shown in Figure 1, the arrangement being such that the movement of float 11 is' transmitted through the arm 10 to the rock shaft 9.

The upper wall 12 of the recess 8 is preferably made of sufficient thickness t0 permit the formation of ducts 13 and 14 therein. The outlets of these ducts upon the upper surface of wall 12 are enclosed within a small chamber or steam chest 15 which is in communication through the pipe 16 with the boiler or source of steam supply. A rock shaft 17 crosses transversely the chamber 15 and may be journalled in the walls thereof. A finger' 18 carried by the rock shaft engages a suitable groove in the slide valve 19 to reciprocate said valve responsive to the oscillation of the rock shaft.

The chamber 15 may be put into communication by the slide valve 19 with the reservoir 1 through duct 13. When the slide valve is in the position shown in the drawings, however, the reservoir 1 communicates through a duct 20, a channel 21 in the slide valve, and duct 14: with a relief pipe 22 in which a check valve 23 may be provided. The relief pipe preferably leads to a drain or chimney, since in the operation/of the device steam is periodically permitted to eX- haust into the open air through this pipe.

The rock shaft 9 extends through the wall of the recess 8 and through a suitable stuffing box 25 to the exterior of the device. It carries at its end a forked lever made up of the two diverging arms 26 and 27. Into the ends of these arms are threaded the adjustable contact screws 28 and 29 respectively, disposed in the manner best shown in Figure 3 and provided with lock nuts to secure them in any desired adjustment.

Pivoted to the rock shaft 9, and free to turn thereon, is the lower end of lever 30 which is separately shown in Figure 4. This lever carries adjacent its upper end a weight 31 which preferably is adjustable longitudinally of said lever and may be secured in any desired position by a set screw 32. The lever 30 is provided with a projection 33 so disposed as to lie within the path of movement of the contact screws 28 and 29. The lever 30 also carries an arcuate member 34, the ends of which are bent inwardly at right angles and provided with contact screws 35 and 36. These last mentioned contact screws are adapted to engage, when the lever 30 is oscillated, a finger 37 mounted upon the end of rock shaft 17.

The operation of this embodiment of my invention is as follows.

The reservoir 1 is connected, in the manner previously indicated, with the discharge end of a system of piping through the pipe 2, with the boiler through pipe 4, with the steam dome of the boiler through the slide valve mechanism and pipe 16, and with the open air through the slide valve mechanism and pipe 22. All of the aforesaid connecting pipes may be provided with one-way cheek valves if desired; pipes 2, 4, and 22 are preferably so equipped.

The reservoir 1 being empty, float 11 is in the position illustrated in full line in Figure 1. The rock shaft 9, which is fast to lever 10, has assumed its most eXtreme position of rotation in a counter-clockwise direction, and the diverging arms 26 and 27 have correspondingly assumed the position best shown in Figure 3. The weight 31 carried by lever 30 holds said lever in contact with screw 29 carried by arm 27. Screw 35 carried by the arcuate member 34 upon the lever 30 is pressing against the linger 37 and maintains the rock shaft 17 in its most eXtreme position of clockwise rotation, as can be seen by reference to Figure 1. The slide valve 19 is maintained by the position of rock shaft 17 at the extreme limit of its inward movement where it closes the duct 13 and puts the reservoir l into communication through duct 20, channel 21, duct 14, and pipe 22 with the atmosphere.

Reservoir 1 being in communication with the atmosphere, no air can be compressed therein as the water received from pipe 2 rises within the trap. As long as the slide valve 19 remains in the position shown, the

air displaced by the incoming water passes freely outward through pipe 22 and no back pressure can be created within the reservoir. lWhen the trap is nearly full, however, and the float l1 has risen to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, the rock shaft 9 will have been oscillated to the eX- treme limit of its clockwise rotation and the arm 27 will have assumed a position corresponding to the position of arm 26 in Figure 3. During the oscillation of this shaft, the lever 30 will have been actuated by the contact screw 29 to a vertical position. The screw 29 is so adjusted that when the water within the reservoir 1 reaches the desired depth, lever 30 will be pushed past the vertical, and the weight 31 will cause said lever to move rapidly across the intervening space between arm 27 and arm 26 into contact with the screw 28. During this movement the screw 36 in the arcuate member 34, carried by lever 30, will engage the linger 37 to move the rock shaft 17 in a counter-clockwise direction and thereby shift the slide valve out,- wardly to close duct 20 and open duct 13, thereby putting the upper part of reservoir 1 into communication through pipe 16 with the steam dome of the boiler. The pressure within the reservoir will immediately be raised to equal that of the boiler, whereupon the weight of the water within the reservoir will cause check valve 5 to open and the water will be delivered through pipe 4 into the boiler to be returned in the form of steam or vapor to the system of pipes from which it was received.

As the water flows from the trap, the check valve 3 prevents a rise of pressure in pipe 2, and the slide valve 19, by closing the duct 20, prevents the escape of steam through pipe 22 to the outer air. The float 11, however, moves downwardly as the level of the water within the trap falls, until as the float reaches the position in which it appears in Figure 1, the lever 30 has been raised to the vertical and pushed past its neutral point by screw 28, causing it to fall into contact once more with screw 29. The screw 35 carried by this lever has come again into contact with finger 37 to oscillate shaft 17 and move slide valve 19 to the position shown in Figure 1. Thus, the in- 'terior of the trap is once more put into communication through pipe 22 with the atmosphere, and such steam as remains therein vents through this pipe. The ingress of any further steam from pipe 16 is prevented by the movement of slide valve 19 which closes duct 13. There is no pressure within the ltrap, and the weight of the water accumulated upon the check valve 3 in pipe 2 is sufficient to open this valve and allow the water to flow freely into the trap. Assuming the pipe 22 to be equipped with a check valve as shown, a small amount of cally is substantially identical with the mechanism previously disclosed. It has been found, however, that the type of valve shown in Figures 1 to 4 is not well suited for pressures greater than 2O pounds, since under high pressures friction of the valve upon its seat becomes so excessive as to impede satisfactory operation of the device. To overcome this difficulty, the modified valve construction of Figure 5 has been devised. In this construction the slide valve 19 takes the form of a plunger provided with peripheral grooves and 41. An intermediate groove 42 provides a convenient means whereby the valve actuated finger 18 may engage the valve while permitting the free rotation of plunger 19 upon its own axis. The operating mechanism is so arranged, however, that the rock l shaft 17 will be maintained in its position of extreme counter-clockwise rotation when the iioat 11 is down, and will be rotated in a clockwise direction when the float reaches the predetermined upper level. Thus, the eect upon the rock shaft 17 of the float movement will be just the opposite of the effect produced in Figure 1. rlhe slight modification of the automatic operating mechanism by which this result is achieved will be discussed hereinafter.

As appears clearly in Figure 5, the float 11 is in its highest position, and the lever 30 has been moved past vertical and allowed to fall to the position in which it is shown in said figure. Thereupon the slide valve 19 has been moved to the left in registry with duct 13. It will be noted that a small duct 13 provides communication between the end of the bore 43 in which slide valve 19 operates and duct 13. A similar duct 14 extends between duct 14 and bore 43. The ducts 13 and 14 permit the plunger valve 19 to move freely within bore 43 without creating vacuum or pressure within the ends of the bore.

In the present modified construction the pipe 16 is led into a divided duct, one arm 44 of which registers with duct 13 and is put into communication therewith through the annular channel 40 when the piston valve 19 is in the position shown. The other arm of the divided duct allows the pressure of the steam to reach the annular channel 41 to balance in its effect upon the valve raittaraan.

the effect of the steam pressure inichannel 40.

The downward movement of float 11 in the sequence of operations already described,

causes the valve 19 to move to the right,

whereupon ducts 2O and 14 are connected by the annular channel 42 in a manner readily appreciated, thereby allowing the steam within the trap to escape through duct 14 and shutting off the ingress of steam from pipe 16.

The mechanism already described for effecting automatic movement of the valve may be changed, as shown in Figure 6, to cause the valve to move in an opposite direction and thereby to satisfy the requirements of the valve construction shown in Figure 5. The linger 37 is divided, as shown, and yis extended below shaft 9. The lever 30 is correspondingly extended and the adjustable contact pins 35 and 36 are disposed at the lower end of the lever in the manner clearly illustrated. It will be obvious that this change will be suiiicient to reverse the direction of valve movement for a given float movement.

1. In a trap, the combination with a casing provided with inlet and outlet ducts, a removable wall for said casing provided with a recess and a horizontally extending' ported portion provided with a valve chest; a slide valve located in said chest and controlling fluid delivery through the ports; a rotatable shaft journaled in the recessed portion of said removable wall; a float within said casing operatively connectedv to said shaft for movement about its axis; an upwardly extending arm loosely connected with the shaft and provided with a weighted upper end; fixed arms connected with said shaft and provided with means for engaging the first mentioned arm from opposite sides to tilt the latter across a vertical line through the shaft; an operating lever for actuating the slide valve; and a cross bar carried by the weighted arm and provided with adjustable means for engaging the operating lever from opposite sides, whereby, when the shaft is oscillated by the float, the weighted arm may be moved to a position for independently and positively actuating the slide valve.

2. In a trap, a casing provided with inlet and outlet ducts, a float within said casing, a detachable casing wall supporting the iioat and provided with a valve mechanism, a tiltable weight supported by said wall and adapted to actuate the valve mechanism independently when moved across a vertical line through its connection with said wall, and means connected with the float for tilting said weight across said vertical line in either direction, said detachable casing wall being ported to admit steam to the casing and additionally ported to allow delivery of steam therefrom, and said valve mechanism including a valve controlling both of said ports.

3. In a trap, a casing provided with inlet and outlet ducts and having a detachable casing Wall provided with a recess and having a top portion substantially in a horizontal plane, said top Wall being ported to allow admission of steam to the interior of the casing and additionally ported to allow the exhaust of steam therefrom, a steam chest enclosing one end of each of said ports, a slide valve Within the chest, trip mechanism for operating the slide valve, and a float Within the casing operatively connected with the trip mechanism to control the latter.

4. In a trap, the combination with a casing open at one en d, of a removable Wall closing said openingA and provided With a recessed portion.v having a horizontally disposed, ported top `Wall, a valve controlling the ports in said top Wall, a chest detachably mounted on said top Wall and enclosing said valve, a horizontal shaft extending into said recess and provided with a float for producing rotation thereof, a second shaft substantially parallel to the first mentioned shaft and extending into said chest, a lever on said second shaft operatively connected with said valve, and trip mechanism controlled by said horizontal shaft and operating said valve.

ARTHUR N. GOFF. CLARENCE J. RICE. 

